The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-27
Grape and Wine Chat.

''If old port wine possesses true yinous fra
grance II is probably wholesome says DIR.
Druitt, who condemns fortified wine for ha-
bitual beverage. The properties desired by n
physician to be inherent In wine he prescribes
for health-restoring or health-preserving pur-
poses are derived solely from the grape that
originates the wine The choice of the grape
variety is important.
from best adapted grapes which has tho least
amount of alcohol and Of unconverted grape
sugar, the right proportion of acids and fruit
salts, and that vinous fragrance adduced by DR..
Drutt, the grape blossom Perfume actual fruit
iness, and not that flavor of alcohol separate
from tho faded vinosity of C6guratively spealing)
fruit In decay, and the consequent nondescrpt
taste Of many aged and high'priced ports.
The Portuguese varieties used for the tradi-
tional ports of Oporto have but only recently
found their place in California vineyards.
Meanwhile OF other good varieties the best sue
cess has been achieved for superior ports from
the French Trousseau vine and from Crabb's
Black Burgundy, pinot noir,) which were prior
| propagations
California port Of commerce is generally the
product OF the poor, untitled, and cheapest of
all, the Mission grape. High above these tower
the two ports from the just-named grapes Of
Tsnsh Ss hparssny ss ysr Ssn but
predict that Crabb's Black Burgundy is the
coming California port grape. Being In all re-
CARDS a satisfactory plant, 1t has been propa-
gated largely. The vnOusncss Of the port
made from this grape Is enormous. Diluted
profusely, Crabb's Sweet Burgundy Port pre-
serves its cxtractves and It's true fruitincss, re-
quired by the physician, In unmpaircd abun-
dance In this shape it may satisfy even cxi-
gent DIR, Druitt fully.
That wine, however, IN It's purity holds nearly
two-iifths OF grape brandy, Thus II comes
under the head of the eight or nine per cent
Of the crop Of wine OF California, of which a
San Francisco temperance lecturer, Mr., Fow-
Ter, recently enormously Informed his audience
that the WhOic one hundred per cent. Of the Call
fornia wine crop belonged TO, namely, fortified
wine. The ludlcrous statement Of Mr.. Fowler
Tribune. Assertions Of 30 absurd and untrue
nature will hardly advance the noble cause O
Temperance. More light, gentlemen lecturers
for yourselves first!
A physical maxim exacts the presence o
eighteen per cent Of alcohol in the combination
of a wine holding unconvorted grave sugar t.
prevent fermcntive disturbances. The addition
OF alcohol, then, to sweet winesi impcrious A
said, eight or nine hundrodths Of the California
crop are fortified. Twenty-Five to twenty-fou
per cent. Of grape sugar in fermentation gene
rate ten and n half TO eleven and half per cent
Of alcohol. This strength superintendent for
long life Of dry wine Above ninety hun
dredths Of the California wine crop are such
Grape brandy pays a tax OF ninety cents per gal
lon. A child may understand that CalifOrni
grape-growers are not 80 improyidcnt as I
waste this expensive material In u wine whic
does not need 1t. More than this Californi
wines from very ripe grapes often are too alec
hole by nature. +, PoHSDORff,
527 Eleventh street northwest.